History of the CGS

History of the Canadian Gourd Society

February 8th, 1999 was a significant day for the Canadian Gourd Society. This was the very first meeting of what would quickly become a place for a craft which predates history as we know it. Eight people attended, all growers and artisans, and all had been working with the little known gourd. Instrumental in the development of the CGS was Darienne McAuley. Darienne had been working with gourds for 4 years by this time and in April 1999, the first newsletter was published. Inundated with enthusiasm, the membership started to grow and now we have members from all across Canada and the US.

Our membership is diverse consisting of people from all walks of life. We meet a few times a year at venues which include the annual Canadian Gourd Society Festival (GourdFest), workshops, exhibits and demonstrations. We now publish a quarterly newsletter, Canadian Gourder, which is both educational and intriguing and is packed full of techniques and upcoming events. To submit articles, or comments for the Newsletter please send to our Newsletter Editor Sharron Anstey